


Compline

by Paper_Crane_Song



Category: The A-Team (TV)
Genre: Episode Related, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Missing Scene, Without Reservations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-20
Updated: 2017-05-20
Packaged: 2018-11-02 18:20:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10950129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Paper_Crane_Song/pseuds/Paper_Crane_Song
Summary: Missing scene fromWithout Reservations. BA, on his own with an injured Face, in the back of the restaurant.





	Compline

**Author's Note:**

> The way BA and Face interact really intrigues me, ever since I watched _Black Day at Bad Rock_ and Hannibal reassures Face by saying, "Face, BA loves you." When I watched _Without Reservations_ I noticed that there's a moment in the episode where BA and Face are left together in the back. So this story is just me, writing about that moment. Any feedback would be most welcome.
> 
> A note about the title: _the ancient office of Compline derives its name from a Latin word meaning 'completion'. It is above all a service of quietness and reflection before rest at the end of the day. It is most effective when the ending is indeed an ending, without additions, conversation or noise._

The fire extinguisher was solid and heavy in his hands and as the mudsucker opened the door BA hefted it up and smashed him over the head with it. 

“Nice, BA,” Hannibal said, and BA smiled grimly. Things were finally starting to feel right again.

As he clambered over the man and tossed the extinguisher to one side, he heard Hannibal ask, “How's Face?” and then he saw the Faceman for himself. The shock unsteadied him and he didn't hear what the girl said, just stared and took in the blood and the pain.

Then Murdock was saying, “I don't think he's got fifteen minutes”, and there was no trace of the craziness, it was just Murdock, exhausted and desperate.

“Tie this guy up,” Hannibal said, and it took BA a second to realise Hannibal was talking to him. He tore himself away and looked around for something he could use. The man was still out cold and BA hogtied him, pulling the cord tight, wanting him to suffer when he came to.

Murdock had gone back into the restaurant by the time he was done, and Hannibal was waiting at the side of the door, staying just out of sight. He acknowledged BA with a nod.

The girl barely looked up as BA crouched down next to Face. She was doing her best to keep it together, but she was shaking, didn't seem to even realise that her eyes were full of tears.

“I got this, lady,” BA said to her in a low voice and she withdrew her hands.

There was a sudden blur of movement; Hannibal, throwing the door open, and the girl, following him. 

BA ignored all the commotion. Instead he leant over Face. “Hey man,” he said, putting a hand on Face's shoulder, his other hand feeling for the wound under the cloth. Face didn't seem to know he was there. His eyes were screwed shut, an intensity of suffering. BA had seen men with gunshot wounds like this back in 'Nam; some men would have lost consciousness by now, but Face was feeling it, every second of it.

He found the bandage covering the wound and pressed down. Face opened his eyes, crying out, the pain shocking him into awareness.

“BA?” he managed, and BA tightened his grip on his shoulder. “Yeah man.”

Face kept looking at him, shallow breaths, his eyes wide. “BA,” he said again, trying to raise his head, and the terror -

“Hang on Face,” BA said, “Hannibal's on it. It'll all be over soon, we'll get you to a hospital.”

“I can't - ” Face said, growing more and more agitated, “I can't - ”

“You can, man,” BA said, “just hold on.” He looked up at the door. Something was wrong, it was taking too long.

Face was panting now, and BA moved his hand from Face's shoulder and rested it on Face's forehead. Face's hair was dark and damp with sweat. He bent close, so close that their faces were almost touching and he felt Face try to flinch away at his nearness but BA's hand on his head held him still.

“You need to hold on,” BA said, looking directly into his eyes. Face's gasps of pain came hot on BA's face, and there was the acrid smell of fear and sweat, the sickly sweetness of the blood, and still BA kept looking into Face's eyes, and Face had no choice but to stare back at him, his pupils blown wide.

“You hearing me, man?” BA said, even as the doors burst open and there were loud voices, the sound of a woman crying.

“Get up!” a voice shouted at him.

But nothing else mattered, not the blood, not the sound of the goon being untied, not even the gun pointed at him; everything faded away, and there was only him and Face, Face's eyes locked onto his. He'd done this before with Face back in the camp, when Face was in the grip of a night-terror or raving with fever; there was something almost maternal about it that Face seemed to respond to, that he still responded to even now, after all this time.

"Hold on,” he said again, and Face nodded almost imperceptibly, and BA tightened his grip in Face's hair and then he felt the cool touch of metal come to rest on the back of his neck.

He let go of Face reluctantly and got to his feet.

“Into the restaurant.” This guy was like a rabid dog, twitching, frantic. “Go on,” and he jabbed him with his gun.

BA didn't say anything but moved slowly, pushing open the doors, taking with him a clarity and a calmness that hadn't been there before

so that when he saw Murdock, saw his startled realisation that Face was all alone back there, he was able to reassure him

“Face is strong, he'll be okay” with complete conviction,

and to sit and to be ready to follow Hannibal's lead, and, when the timing was right, to take these mudsuckers down once and for all.

_Finis_


End file.
